Magazine for firearms



De 1, 1964 H. MENNEKING ETAL 3,158,947

MAGAZINE FOR FIREAm/fs Filed March 28, 1965 United States Patent() 3,153,947 MAGAZINE FR FIREARMS lHartmut Menneking and Hermann Henning, Dusseldorf,

s Ciaims. (ici. 42-sa) This invention relates to a magazine for rapid-firing automatic and semi-automatic firearms. Such magazines generally have a feed platform subject to the pressure of a platform spring and which feeds the cartridges to the breech block or b-olt of the firearm. The magazine is also provided with a mouthpiece which is inserted in a corresponding opening in the firearm.

When the cartridges are being fed to the breech block or bolt, mutual longitudinal shifting movements occur continuously owing to the slightly conical shape ofthe cartridges and tilting movements occur before the cartridges are introduced into the barrel, so that the cartridges are constantly shifted against one another and against the platform which may be a plate or a frame, whereby considerable frictional losses occur which have an unfavourable effect on rapid feed of the cartridges and may be the cause of jamming.

Furthermore, loading faults may occur through tilting of the platform plate or the platform frame, which must in fact take up and compensate these tilting movements.

It is true that the risk of tilting can be reduced by pro:- viding the platform with as long guide surfaces as possible which move over the walls of the magazine. This, however, has the disadvantage that the magazine becomes longer and heavier or, if the size is the same, the number of cartridges which can be accommodated is smaller. Also of great importance in this connection is the design of the magazine platform spring, Vthe line of action of which should take effect as far as possible in the region of the position of the centre of gravity of the cartridges.

The problem set by the invention is to avoid the drawbacks described and provide a magazine which is equal to the requirements for a feed ofthe cartridges which is rapid and obviates interferences. The solution of this problem according to the invention consists in the vcombination of the following features:

(a) The magazine Aplatform spring arranged on the platform has a width substantially smaller than that of the magazine and has (b) Two or more guide arms projecting beyond the width of the spring and which support the spring on the Wall of the magazine and on the wall of the platform.

In this connection, it has been found to be extremely advantageous for the platform to be provided with a guide slot in its end face for receiving the guide arms. In this way, there is obtained practically speaking a mutual guiding of the spring and 'the platform frame.

A magazine for cartridges is already known in whic the spring has a width substantially smaller than that of the magazine, but this spring is not arranged in a platform frame, nor has it any guide, so that there is a possibility of buckling.

It is likewise extremely advantageous foi the magazine platform spring to consist of individual leaf springs riveted to one another at their ends, the positions of the rivets being staggered. In this way, simple and economic manufacture is possible, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the spring has only a small overall height in the Tice plied by the advantageous feature that the platform frame is provided with rollers on its bearing surface for the cartridges, preferably in the middle region and the rear region, i.e. that region which faces the base of the cartridge. In this way, on the one hand, frictional losses are largely avoided during the longitudinal movements of the cartridge occurring with respect to the platform frame and, on the other hand, the magnitude of the tilting movements of the platform frame itself is also reduced, whereby the rapid and trouble-free feed is likewise favourably influenced. As a further development, this effect is further improved if the platform frame has -end Walls sloping towards its base.

Further details of the invention are explained in the following description of an embodiment given with reference to the drawing which is a side elevation partly in section.

Referring to the drawing, the magazine or casing 1 has at its lower end a mouthpiece 2 which, for the feed of the cartridges, is inserted in a corresponding opening in the firearm (not shown). In the magazine cartridges 3 are arranged in a row one above the other, the lowest one of the cartridges, the first to be introduced into the firearm, rests on lips 4 provided at the lower (as seen in the drawing) end of the mouthpiece, from where it is introduced into the barrel by the breech block or bolt of the rearm (also not shown). The cartridges are fed through the mouthpiece and thereby to the rearm through the pressure vof a magazine spring 5 arranged in the upper part of the magazine. This spring is arranged in a box-like platform frame 6 which is guided so as to be longitudinally slidable in the magazine.

The magazine spring consists of individual leaf springs 5 of differing lengths which are riveted to one another atV their ends, the rivets 7 being olf-set with respect to one another owing to the different lengths of the leaf springs. In this Way, a relatively powerful spring is obtained which hasL only a small overall dimension in the compressed state.

The width of the magazine spring is substantially smaller than that of the magazine and the spring is so arranged in the platform frame that the line of action of the spring is located approximately in the region of the position of the centre of gravity of the cartridges. In order to prevent any buckling of the spring, which would result in a tilting action and thereby jamming of the platform frame, the spring is provided with laterally projecting guide arms 8 and 9 consisting of leaf springs extended beyond the points where the rivets are located. While the guide arm 8 extends through a slot 10 arranged in one end wall of the platform frame and is supported against the wall of the magazine, the end of the supporting arm 9 is bent and can support itself against the other end Wall of the platform frame. Furthermore, the end Walls of the platform frame slope towards the inside of the magazine approximately from halfway up the height of the frame. These features ensure that the platform frame can also perform the necessary tilting movements without twisting and, moreover, simple and reliable guiding of the spring is obtained which prevents it buckling even when the magazine is refilled.

Rollers 12 are provided in the middle and rear regions of the base 11 of the platform frame, i.e. that part which rests on the cartridges, whereby frictional losses during the longitudinal movements of the cartridge with respect to the platform frame are almost completely avoided, as

well as any jamming occurring through twisting of thev cartridges or the platform frame.

We claim:

l. A magazine for automatic firearms comprising a casing adapted to receive cartridges, a box-like platform frame slidably mounted in the casing and having a base at one end and open at the other end, and a spring in the form of interconnected leaf spring members bearing at one end in the base of the frame and at the other end against the casing and when the magazine is lled the spring is taken up in the platform frame, the platform frame having a guide slot in one end Wall thereof and in which at least two guide arms are provided secured to said leaf spring members with one of said guide arms extending through said guide slot to support said spring on a wall of said magazine and another of said guide arms supporting said spring on one of said end walls of said platform frame.

2. A magazine for automatic rearms comprising a casing adapted to receive cartridges, a box-like platform frame slidably mounted in the casing and having a base at one end and open at the other end, and a spring in the form of interconnected leaf spring members bearing at one end in the base of the frame and at the other end against the casing and when the magazine is filled the spring is taken up in the platform frame, the platform frame having side ends which converge toward each other as viewed in side elevation.

3. A magazine for automatic rearms comprising a casing adapted to receive cartridges, a box-like platform frame slida'oly mounted in the casing and having a base at one end and open at the other end, a spring in the form References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,235 5/ 37 Hillyard 42-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 451,155 9/48 Canada. 712,084 lO/ 41 Germany. 508,134 6/39 Great Britain. 615,471 1/ 4l Great Britain.

BENJAMN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAGAZINE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS COMPRISING A CASING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE CARTRIDGES, A BOX-LIKE PLATFORM FRAME SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE CASING AND HAVING A BASE AT ONE END AND OPEN AT THE OTHER END, AND A SPRING IN THE FORM OF INTERCONNECTED LEAF SPRING MEMBERS BEARING AT ONE END IN THE BASE OF THE FRAME AND AT THE OTHER END AGAINST THE CASING AND WHEN THE MAGAZINE IS FILLED THE SPRING IS TAKEN UP IN THE PLATFORM FRAME, THE PLATFORM FRAME HAVING A GUIDE SLOT IN ONE END WALL THEREOF AND IN 